Dapper Dan was a legend in his time, an 80′s era street couturier who spoke to the sartorial tastes of rappers, drug dealers, and athletes who had a distinctive palette for luxury with a dash of cool.
Dan was known as the man who could transform a trendy winter jacket into a logo laden piece, emblazoning it with the monograms of Italian and French fashion houses by screen printing their symbols onto leather using a fade resistant ink. In this week’s New Yorker, writer Kelefa Sanneh digs into Dan’s business, telling stories of his star studded clientele (which included Mike Tyson, Big Daddy Kane, and LL Cool J) and the ultimate conflict between street and couture (Fendi, among others, ended up suing Dan for copyright infringement several times, until Dan had to shutter his doors).
Sanneh writes, “It seems possible that, in the nineteen-eighties, Dapper Dan was the most influential haberdasher in the city. His work presaged both the rise of the hip-hop fashion industry and the re-invention of Europe’s luxury design houses.”
Back then, like now, luxury houses didn’t truly acknowledge the hip-hop culture, though rappers and their fans were absolutely smitten with the expensive and aspirational quality of the items. For rappers, it wasn’t about understated chic–they wanted the world to know who they were wearing, and just about how much they spent on it. Dan fulfilled that need for a time–before luxury houses began to, slowly but surely, manufacture items with the logo obsessed in mind (read our archived post: Did Louis Vuitton make this for Rappers?)
Though Dan’s boutique shuttered in 1992, he’s plotting a return to the game. Sure, his claim to fame was basically counterfeiting labels, but he’s a true artisan, aware of fabrics, cut, and fit. Jay-Z’s Life + Times channel spoke to him recently about his past, and what he plans to do in the future:
See more about Dapper Dan on his website. And, of course, pick up this week’s New Yorker to read his profile. It’s available only to subscribers here (subscribe).
What do you think?
March 22, 2013 10:02 am
i literally mutter “HOOO” under my breath and felt like doin’ the wop. wow…LL was a super cutie. i remember all those ‘Canal Street’ specials back in the day. so nostalgic! ;-)
March 22, 2013 11:52 am
Ah yes, these were the days. “Hilfiger” in giant font down your arm, Nautica jackets, Gucci boston bags and MCM was hotter than the sun.
March 22, 2013 11:52 am
Love this article Claire…I was too young to dress myself during this time, but I do remember the fashion.
March 22, 2013 12:07 pm
Claire great article! I am glad you to me back for a little:0
March 22, 2013 12:20 pm
Thank You:)
March 22, 2013 1:19 pm
Thank you for featuring Dan. He is a true master at his craft. I remember watching documentary last year and they spent 30 or so minutes on him. True artistry. People can learn from him. Even though he was making counterfeit pieces he was doing AMAZING job especially when these labels were not checking for hip hop.
March 22, 2013 1:24 pm
Well that was a big Hip-Hop lesson for the ages. And how it was told from the horses’ mouth was just wow. Kind of like folk storytelling. I really enjoyed this.
March 22, 2013 1:46 pm
thanks to Dapper Dan my uncle got load of MCM’s in his closet, just collecting dust. Im about two minutes away in robbing him
March 22, 2013 2:13 pm
This was my era! A teen in LOVE with all things Hip Hop. Thanks for the flashback Claire! I’ll be looking out for Dapper Dan.
March 22, 2013 2:35 pm
Oh how I would have loved to be apart of this era. The glitz the glamour the tackiness so me !!! Infamous cutie drug dealer Alpo won my heart when he ha on the Louis Vuitton embossed bomber jacket. Dapper Dan was truly an artist with a good eye for fashion .
March 22, 2013 4:26 pm
And he’s staying sartorial in Harlem. Loved the history lesson!
March 22, 2013 4:49 pm
“Wear a G on my chest, I don’t need Dapper Dan.” -Jay Z Lovin this post.
March 22, 2013 10:15 pm
Great post!
March 23, 2013 12:49 pm
I love learing new things.
March 23, 2013 8:24 pm
I love Harlem and all the history that comes from it. Dapper Dan is a Harlem Legend #uptop
March 25, 2013 2:25 pm
*raises hand, I had a LV Jumpsuit made! Love that brother! Those were the days!*